| A GREEN &
GROWING COMPANY |
Inspired by
traditional Filipino craftsmanship and local natural materials, the extraordinary
designs of Antonio “Budji” Layug have graced the interiors of some of the
finest hotels, offices and residences of the world since 1975. Using
plantation grown bamboo, cut above the roots for constant regeneration,and
other abundant native grasses, Budji designs epitomize his personal philosophy
of maintaining a balance between grace, elegance, simplicity,and nurturing
their environment.
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Budji’s Giant Bamboo designs
were first shown in the United States in 1981 as part of Bloomingdale’s
the “The China Exhibit,” and the next year were a centerpiece of their
“Philippine Exhibit.” After two years of retail sales through Bloomingdales,
Lord and Taylor, and Harrod’s, Budji redirected his energies towards the
interior design market, with designs focused on both the high-end residential
as well as the hospitality market. In 1984 the first American Budji
showroom opened in Los Angeles, followed shortly thereafter with a |
second showroom
in San Francisco. Supported by finish and upholstery facilities in
southern California, Budji's constant creativity has kept the line fresh
for its showroom network.
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In 1992, Budji
met Robert Wright and joined him in forming a new corporation to further
the development of the Budji line in the United States. Since then
the newly reincarnated Budji Collections has thrived. Important installations
include the “Four Seasons Hualalai,” Kona, Hawaii; “Little Dix Bay,” Virgin
Gorda, B.V.I.; “Caneel Bay,” St. John’s, USVI; “The Regent of Manila,”
Manila, Philippines; “Walt Disney World’s Polynesian Resort,” Florida;
and the “Rosario Resort,” Orcas Island, Puget Sound.
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It is rare to
find a designer who has a vision that is as all-encompassing and fully
realized as Budji Layug. He has perfected the art of integrating
architecture, function, landscaping, and lifestyle, to create beautiful
living environments. His sense of scale and proportion create designs
in handmade furniture that provide as much art as function. The designs
of the reinvigorated Budji Collections create drama and harmony for all
who embrace them.
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| ANTONIO C
LAYUG |
| Antonio “Budji” Layug, an
international designer of furniture and interiors, was born in 1950. The
third of eight children in a Filipino furniture manufacturing family, Budji’s
interest in design developed early. He studied at the New York School of
Interior Design, and later, returned to the Philippines to study architecture
at the St Thomas University in Manila. Budji then spent seven years traveling
the world, expanding his understanding of foreign culture, art and design.
Upon his return to the Philippines, Budji began to explore his native country’s
landscape as vigorously as he had explored the European and American continents.
One day on a beach |
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in the mid-seventies,
while watching two men build a traditional bamboo outrigger canoe, the
seeds for a new venture were sown.
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Fascinated by
their skill and their use of native materials, Budji began to design furniture
that incorporated traditional techniques and indigenous organic materials
such as pandan, bamboo and Philippine hardwoods to create sleek, elegantand
thoroughly post-colonial furniture.
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Budji’s extensive
travel in the Philippines and abroad gave him an unusually wide range of
aesthetics and experiences to select from, but soon his overriding passion
would become clear: the harmony of nature brought indoors to create beautiful,
peaceful living spaces.
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His fame as
a furniture designer has largely resulted from his commitment to organic
forms and materials, especially those found on his native Philippines,
and his fresh interpretation of those forms into uniquely modern designs.
Budji’s training as both an architect and an interior designer have given
him a highly developed sense of interior and exterior space, and he insists
that each design fit into both. “…A total design approach from exterior
to interior is essential to creating a style that will endure the pass
of time,” he says, “This includes home furnishing and furniture designs
that complement the space.”
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Budji’s reputation
as an extraordinary international interior designer stems from his holistic
approach to design. In the homes that he has designed in recent years he
combines state of the art technologies and his own contemporary furniture
designs with an eclectic mix of art and antiques from all over the world.
Each of this spaces speak volumes about the relationship between indoor
and outdoor spaces; under his direction the garden and the home become
one. “I like to live with what is outside by bringing it into the
living space.” In 1993 Budji was the consulting designer to the Manila
F.A.M.E.show, a showcase of trend setting furniture designs that united
utility with functionality.
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| In designing
furniture, Budji is as devoted to craftsmanship and detailing as he is
to function and basic design. Budji continues to develop his furniture
collection and is considering a line of accessories to complement his designs.
His interior design projects now cover not only residential projects, but
also the interiors of clubs, hotels, restaurants, public spaces, corporate
offices and landscaping. In all of Budji’s endeavors, his simple design
philosophy reigns: Design, in every discipline, attains excellence when
form and function co-exist harmoniously. |